The announcement before Christmas that the state of Vermont and Entergy, the owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, had reached an agreement about its closure and one final year of operation left many folks breathing a collective and hopeful sigh of relief.
The initial reports seemed promising. Entergy and the state rolled up their sleeves, put their bad blood behind them, and found some common ground.
Money would be available for economic development in Windham County to help build up its economy without Vermont Yankee. And money would also be available for more renewable power to further Vermont's transition to cleaner power.
A path was also laid out for a speedier cleanup, and the fights about back taxes and legal fees that have already exceeded more than $6 million would end.